Wordless Wednesday: Nursing Mama Problems

When you're trying to swap a pacifier for your nipple without waking your sleeping babe:

These are the Moments

I'm at a significant point in my breastfeeding adventure. I've been breastfeeding Boo for 18 months and I'm 14 weeks pregnant with #2. While I plan to continue nursing Boo for the foreseeable future, I do know that anything can happen at this point, so I'm doing my best to savor our nursing moments today as well as memories we've made over the past year and a half. There have been some doozies!

Dumb and Dumber Moment

Photo credit

I'm almost too embarrassed to include this in the list. In the early days I struggled with over-supply. My breasts were engorged, hard lumps began forming, and I developed mastitis. I applied warm compresses (warm water poured into newborn diapers worked amazingly well!) and massage. I also pumped a bit to relieve pressure before Boo nursed so the poor thing wouldn't sputter and choke on the fast letdown. After each nursing session I took that pumped milk...and poured it down the drain. I know, I know. If I could go back in time I would smack my sleep-deprived, bleary-eyed face. The thing is, I had pumped colostrum at the hospital that I wasn't using and had to toss. What was I supposed to do with all this breast milk anyway?

Fortunately I had sweet friends who quickly informed me what an idiot was. I made a run to Babies R Us and picked up some freezer bags for my milk. I never made the same mistake again.

Apocalyptic Moment

In the early days I don't think there was a single 90 minute nursing session that went by where I didn't feel like my nipples were being sawed off, cauterized, then stuck back on with Krazy Glue. Yet there's one moment that sticks out. It was probably about 8 am, though I had lost all sense of time with the 24/7 nursing thing I had going on. I was sitting in my glider with my sweet newborn bracing myself for another painful latch. Teeth gritted, tears streaming down my face, I brought her to my breast. And I howled in agony, unknowingly in solidarity with other moms. Somehow I freed one hand (how that happened God only knows) to grab my phone and called my mommy. "Hey mom." Trying to play it cool. "What are you...sniff...up to?" The wobble in my voice betrayed me. All it took was a "Honey, are you okay?" and I was reduced to a blubbery, wailing, pitiful mess.

Fortunately I have an awesome mom who came right over with a hot breakfast and some grandma love so I could crawl into bed slathered with nipple butter. Ahhhhhhhhhh....

Merida Moment

My first time nursing in public was at a Panera down the street. I busted out the cover, peeked through the constantly collapsing top to try and get baby in position, and began to nurse like a champ. It didn't feel remarkable though. The place was buzzing with middle and high school students just out of school. The chaotic din made me feel inconspicuous so it didn't feel like a breakthrough moment. One that did, though, was the day I figured out how to nurse while I was wearing Boo at the grocery store. I felt brave and invincible, like, "Haha everyone in the grocery store, my boob is out and you don't even know it!" 

Victory.

All the Moments

The funny thing is that while a few of these memories stick out in my head, most of them blur into each other so that my breastfeeding journey is made up of impressions and feelings rather than distinct happenings marked on a calendar. The late nights with my sweet girl where her smell and warmth filled the silence. The nursing mannerisms she's adopted as a toddler, like standing with her bottom in the air as she chooses which side she wants this time. The way she attacks my breast with gusto that causes my family to laugh hysterically every time.


One great thing about the next baby is it's like having a do-over. Of course I know it will be different and this baby will have different needs. But I get a second chance at not being stupid and dumping out liquid gold. I get a second chance at knowing how it feels to have a tiny human nestled in my arms day and night. I get a chance to experience a new set of missteps and discomfort that will inevitably fade into success, until one day while nursing I'll think to myself, "Hm, this is so easy! When did that happen?"

I Drink Straight From the Tap

How adorable is this "I Drink Straight From the Tap" onesie by Etsy shop GigglePoo?

You Know You're a Breastfeeding Mom When...

We've all been there ladies - something happens and you know only other moms who breastfeed (or who have breastfed) would understand.

The Adventures in Breastfeeding crew has put together our favorite list of ways you know you're a breastfeeding mom and wanted to share them with you.  We're guessing there is at least one or two you can relate to!

You Know You're A Breastfeeding Mom When...

...your little tries to latch to things that resemble nipples. --Amanda

...you ask your boss to move a meeting to a different time, because it interferes with your pump break. --Missy

...you drink Pedialyte after throwing up all night just to maintain your supply. (That stuff is nasty!). -- Jessica

...you haven't touched half of your wardrobe in a year because it isn't boob accessible. --Joan 

 ...you have, at one or more times, walked through a public place with your shirt pulled down on one side and your bra exposed. Bonus points if you were actually not embarrassed, but relieved, that you managed to relatch your bra at least. --Leanne

...you keep a nursing cover in your bag not for feeding but for those times you forget a hat! --Alissa

...everything you have smells like breastmilk and you just don't care...ugh the early days. --Samantha

...your chest is scratched up from tiny little razor sharp nails. --Laura

...a baby cries on TV and you let down! --Christa

What did we leave out?  What would you add to the list?  Let us know in the comments below.

5 Mis-Adventures in Breastfeeding

From the moment I decided to breastfeed Harper, I began to devour all things breastfeeding: Books. Blogs. Groups. Classes. You name it, I was into it. I became a little obsessed and consequently slightly neurotic about perfection. This is a common tendency of mine, you'll come to know. Anyhow, in the midst of my perfection-seeking, I started to crack a little. Ok, a lot. I was putting an extreme amount of pressure on myself until one night (for those of you who still consider 3 AM night that is). It started with a soft chuckle, progressed to a medium giggle, and ended with me laughing hysterically into my pillow so as to not wake my sleeping baby. I laughed at myself. Since then, I've lightened up and laugh at my misadventures. Here are my top 5 Mis-Adventures in Breastfeeding.

1.) The Nip Slip: Around 6 months of age, Harper became a very distracted nursling. A fly could land on the wall and she'd suddenly pop off to check it out. One day, as I was nursing at a friend's house (we don't use a cover), her 15 year old daughter walked in and just like that she was off. I didn't realize it at first and then the look on her face said it all. It said, "Umm I'm totally looking at your nipple!" My face probably turned 50 shades of red once I realized my entire boob was hanging out. I'm a little more aware now, but nonetheless I laughed.

Harper at 8 months

2.) The Wardrobe Malfunction: Before long, it became apparent that nursing in public with my distracted girl left me with a few options. I could fight to keep a cover on her (I tried and failed). I could just walk around stores topless (hmm something tells me that wouldn't be allowed). Or I could just find a private place for now. I opted for finding a private place. So fast forward to one fine day at Target; I had just wrapped up a nursing session in my car. I was carrying Harper on my hip and getting lots of stares. I'm used to getting lots of smiles and "oohs and aws" because my gal is just so stinking cute, but these were stares, y'all. People were looking at me like I was half dressed! Finally, a mother of two in the diaper aisle looked down at my shirt and smiled at me. Ah-ha! I knew that smile. That smile that told me she'd been there. Imagine my horror when I look down to find that I hadn't layered myself back up after breastfeeding, so I had one fully clothed side and another with my bra just saying "hi" to everyone! Still, I had to laugh. I mean, what are you gonna do? Actually, you should probably think about that because this will likely happen to you in some fashion (pun intended).

Milkshake anyone?
Picture provided by Sugar and Cloth and the recipe can be found here.

3.) The Milkshake: I suffer from chronic clogged ducts and let me tell you, they can be a real son of a gun. I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy. With that said, I've found a few things that really work for me, and one of them is something I like to call....The Milkshake. This is where I bend over braless and give the ladies an aggressive shimmy. I sometimes can feel the clog coming on and decided to be proactive about the matter right then and there. So one morning I'm cleaning my daughters high-chair and have this matter to attend to. I put her in the chair and I'm just shimmying away when I hear my mothers voice behind me. She says, "What the hell are you doing?" Note to self: do your milkshake in your room when you aren't alone in the house.

4.) The Boob Bath: The first time I had a clogged duct, I'd gotten some wonderful advice from one of the ladies on my Facebook support group. She offered up the little nugget of using an Epsom Salt soak to get some relief. As magical as this is, I'll be honest and say that you'll feel like a complete idiot doing this. At 3AM one night, I'd had it with my clogged ducts and needed relief bad. So there I was, butt in the air, crouched on the floor and braless with both boobs dunked in the largest mixing bowl I could find. I was crying from how uncomfortable I was and then I just thought about the image of myself. And in that moment I just had to laugh. Don't worry, I thoroughly cleaned the mixing bowl before making cookies. 

5.) The Geyser: My boobs are crazy. Let me explain. My let down is super fast and I have oversupply, so if my sweet nursling isn't handling her business, then milk can literally go everywhere. Just ask my 3 year old niece. My breastfeeding is natural for her (her mama breastfeeds also) and she typically will stand close while I
feed Harper. One afternoon, I was babysitting her and she was leaning on the arm rest of the rocker I was feeding Harper in. I was watching TV and hadn't realized (again) that Harper had popped off. Then I heard my niece squealing, "Stop spraying me! Stop spraying me!" I'm not proud that I busted out laughing, but I did. She then narrowed her eyes and said, "It's NOT funny!" Well, okay then. I pulled myself together and cleaned her up. Then I promptly walked into my room and had another quick chuckle.

My niece, Leighton.
Photo provided  by Sarah Volner

The best advice I would've given my future breastfeeding self is to not take myself too seriously. I was always committed to staying the course, but I wasn't always enjoying it. Now I do. Why? Because I'm not holding myself to a perfect standard and am laughing about my mis-adventures.

Wordless Wednesday: Breastfeeding...you're doing it wrong.